Our family pup, Charlie, is in trouble. I know I wrote a novel but wanted to thoroughly explain the situation:

Charlie lives with my dad and the two of them are very much inseparable. They take care of one another and enjoy spending their time howling at sirens together, cuddling, and eating carrots, among many other things. For those of you who may not be aware, my mother passed away a year and a half ago after a 2+ year battle with pancreatic cancer. During that entire journey, Charlie would be extra gentle around mom and keep her company, along with providing tons of emotional support and laughter to my parents. Since my mom passed, Charlie has been crucial to keeping my dad's spirits up. If you've ever loved an animal, you know how life-changing their company and love are. We are forever grateful to have Charlie in our lives--my dad especially.

That being said, two nights ago (8/12) my dad noticed something was off with Charlie. They sleep together, and my dad had woken up in the middle of the night, Charlie was shaky and vomited a little bit. This isn't entirely abnormal, so dad gave her snuggles and she ate fine the next morning. My dad is a self-employed carpenter and was doing some work at my house the next morning. When he arrived home, Charlie was definitely sick--she didn't get off the couch to greet him (and she is a great "guard dog," always barking and needing to see who's at the door), and when he picked her up off the couch and set her on the ground, she wouldn't walk. He told me her face looked almost unrecognizable. 

Dad immediately brought Charlie to her regular vet, where they examined her over a couple hours and said she was extremely dehydrated. They ran some tests and found she had abnormal fluid in her abdomen and were suspecting an infection in her uterus (she is not spayed), but couldn't confirm this as their ultrasound tech was out for the day. They recommended dad bring Charlie to the emergency animal clinic immediately.

I went with my dad to get Charlie from her regular vet and bring her to the emergency clinic. This sweet little dog looked so out of it, so in pain, so sad...it broke our hearts. Her one arm was wrapped up with an IV port still in there so she could resume care at the clinic.

We arrived at the emergency clinic where they examined Charlie and did ultrasounds. They quickly confirmed she did have the uterine infection called pyometra. Basically, her uterus became a giant abscess and can rupture, causing sepsis. It is always fatal if untreated. Our options were to euthanize her immediately, not do anything and she would be dead within a few days, or proceed with an emergency hysterectomy. 

We chose the surgery, as I feel most pet owners would. They ran x-rays on her to make sure she was a cancer-free candidate for surgery (which she was!), and they even let us go in and say "goodnight" to her since she would be prepping for surgery immediately. We loved seeing that sweet little face again, and the vet was thrilled that we brought Charlie when we did, because if she had to wait until the morning for surgery it didn't look good.

Post-surgery update, 8/13 PM: 
Charlie's uterus didn't rupture (good) but there was a lot of bacteria-filled fluid around her organs (not good). That was flushed and a drain was put in. She didn't have adhesions which was a good sign, but was teetering on the edge of sepsis since the fluid was in there. She was receiving IV fluids, blood pressure stabilizers, and antibiotics.

The vet said she was one of the more severe cases she'd seen, but was pleased and surprised that her bloodwork had come back healthy except for the fact that her blood glucose was much lower than it should be. She would be closely watched for the next 24-48 hours for stability and signs of septic shock.

Update 8/14 AM:
Charlie had no emergencies overnight and is "holding her own," but the vet is now concerned that her blood glucose isn't coming up and she still has quite a bit of bacteria in her abdomen still draining. She wouldn't walk this morning but was also transitioning pain medications. She will most likely have to stay for two more days. We will get another update about her condition this afternoon.

You made it to the end of the novel--thank you! Here's why I made this GoFundMe: 
Emergency medical procedures are never fun or financially convenient, whether they are for humans or pets, and when it rains, it pours. My dad was in the process of getting our family home ready to sell so he could move elsewhere with Charlie. That opportunity recently changed, so dad is still at the family home but has spent a good portion of his savings updating the house and fixing things that needed to be addressed. 

Charlie's original hospital bill was estimated around $5,500 when we brought her to the emergency clinic . With her additional stay needed at the emergency clinic, that bill is increasing around $1,000 per day. I know how easy it is to simply say "spend that much on a dog? No way!" but for anyone who has owned a pet, you know they are very much members of the family. If you have had the unfortunate task of having a medical surprise, there is no choice--you save your pet like you would any other member of your family. How can we give up when Charlie has fought so hard and come this far? 

My dad is a self-employed carpenter who is the biggest softee in the world. I have watched him drive himself in the ground to create beautiful work for his clients, which he takes great pride in. He always gives, and is not one to ask for help. In fact, when I suggested  making this page, he was hesitant about it. I assured him he would not be judged. 

If you are able to donate anything, my family would appreciate it immensely. If you can't, I thank you for reading our story and ask that you send some good vibes to my dad and Charlie, and share the post. 

I will continue to provide updates as I hear them. Thank you so much.